Senior Scientist, Research (Bioinformatics)

Visterra•Waltham, MA

13h

About The Position

The Senior Scientist, Research position is a key member of the Genomics Platform team and will be involved in bioinformatics analyses of genomics and multi-omics datasets to support our drug discovery and therapeutic development at Visterra. Reporting to the Executive Director of Research, this person will play a lead role in developing and applying advanced computational approaches to analyze and interpret genetics, genomics and multi-omics datasets to support our drug development decisions. We are seeking an experienced bioinformatician to develop and adapt data-driven approaches to analyze single cell multi-omics, spatial transcriptomics, genetics and other high-content datasets to aid target identification, disease characterization and mechanism-of-action studies to derive biological insights supporting drug candidate discovery and development. Visterra is a clinical stage biotechnology company committed to developing innovative antibody-based therapies for the treatment of patients with kidney, immune-mediated and other hard-to-treat diseases. Our proprietary technology platform enables the design and engineering of precision antibody-based product candidates that specifically bind to, and modulate, key disease targets. Applying this technology to disease targets that are not adequately addressed by traditional therapeutic approaches, we are developing a robust pipeline of novel therapies for patients with unmet needs. Visterra’s pipeline has multiple clinical-stage assets and one approved therapeutic, sibeprenlimab. As a member of the Otsuka family of companies, we are uniquely positioned as a small, dynamic, nimble and innovative organization where individuals and teams are empowered to make big impacts – while benefiting from the support, strength, stability and long-term perspective of a 100-year-old global company. Visterra has approximately 105 employees and is located in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Requirements

PhD. in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Computer Science, or a related field with 4+ years of experience, or a M.S. with 10 years of relevant experience.
Expertise in single-cell genomics (scRNA-seq), spatial transcriptomics, genetics or other large-scale multi-dimensional genomics analyses.
Deep experience implementing workflows to process high-throughput -omics data and performing downstream analyses that generate biological insights.
Proven track record of evaluating and using public biology databases, with an understanding of how to utilize large datasets to drive discovery and development
Deep understanding in computational single cell toolsets such as Seurat, Scanpy, and other relevant methods.
Strong programming skills in Python and/or R for bioinformatics applications.
Familiarity with cloud computing services, such as AWS, is
Excellent collaboration and interpersonal skills for multi-disciplinary teamwork.
Strong problem-solving abilities, analytical thinking, and intellectual curiosity.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex ideas clearly to diverse audiences.
Passion for developing computational technologies for biological research and translating findings into therapeutic applications in precision medicine and translational research.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement advanced machine learning and computational strategies, including deep learning, graph-based methods, and probabilistic modeling, to extract insights genomics datasets, including single-cell, spatial and genetic modalities.
Collaborate with internal and external scientists and clinicians to drive insights from multi-omic data, supporting novel therapeutic development.
Develop new bioinformatics strategies efforts to address key target identification questions on underlying biological mechanisms of disease.
Leverage and extend best practices from genomics, statistics, and data science to process and analyze internal and public multi-omics data and derive biological insights that will impact program strategy.
Manage existing high-dimensional data resources and ingest new public and internal datasets for use by team members.
Clearly communicate complex data findings to colleagues and senior management.
Engage in research discussions, proactively suggesting innovative solutions to impact discovery and clinical programs.
Stay current with advancements in computational biology by reviewing literature, evaluating new technologies, and implementing relevant methodologies.
Present research findings at conferences and publish in scientific journals.
Participate in research team meetings, and proactively suggest new ways to impact programs from discovery through the clinic.
Maintain expertise in the field by staying current with relevant literature, proactively evaluate new technologies, and implement in-house where appropriate.